Vertical display



June 25, 1963 1.. s. GUARINO ETAL 3,094,971

VERTICAL DISPLAY Filed April 29, 1960 '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS PLINYG. HOLT LOUIS S. GUARINO AGENT June 25, 1963 Filed April 29, 1960 L. S.G UARINO ETAL VERTICAL DISPLAY CLIMB COMMAND DIVE COMMAND CLIMB RESPONSEFig. 29

Fig. 2f,

DIVE RESPONSE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fly. 20 g RIGHT TURN COMMAND RIGHT CLIMBCOMMAND IN VENTORS P LINY G. HOLT BY LOUIS s. GUARINO AGENT L. s.GUAORIYNO ETAL 3,094,971

VERTICAL DISPLAY June 25, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 29, 1960Fig. 3a Fig. 30 4 2 7 RIGHT TURN COMMAND CLIMB COMMAND Fig. 3b F 3d DIVECOMMAND RIGHT CLIMB COMMAND RIGHT cums RESPONSE INVENTORS PLINY e. HOLTBY LOUIS s. GUARINO DIVE RESPONSE Unite rates Patent 3,094,971 VERTICALDISPLAY Louis S. Guarino, Hatboro, Pa, and Pliny G. Holt, Carmel, Calih,assignors to the United States of America as represented by theSecretary of the Navy Filed Apr. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 25,806

Claims. (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (E52), sec. 266) The inventiondescribed herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Governmentof the United States of America for governmental purposes without thepayment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to a navigational aid, and more particularlyrelates to a vertical display for unburdening the piloting andnavigational demands normally made upon the operator of a mannedvehicle.

The constantly increasing number of piloting and navigation instrumentscomplicates more and more the work of an already overburdened pilot whois compelled to make an analysis and synthesis of dispersed instrumentdata with a view to executing, with proper reflexes, a preconceivedcourse. Without improved instrumentation and director equipment in thisage of supersonic vehicles it is possible for incredible errors toresult in the execution of a preconceived navigation plan, which errorsmay be costly in terms of vehicles and human lives :as well as anunacceptable number of aborted missions.

Accordingly it is contemplated to provide piloting and navigationdirector equipment that tends to more nearly in'ntegrate the pilot witha vehicle and thereby further the man-machine-mission concept.

One of the principal objects of the invention, therefore, is theprovision of improved director equipment, and more particularly, theprovision of a vertical display device for visually displaying commandsin vehicle heading and/ or altitude rate changes, the display devicebeing useful in all navigable manned vehicles regardless of the fluidmedium in which the vehicle is being operated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel verticaldisplay device useful in either an operational vehicle or in a trainingor educational device.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a novel verticaldisplay device which displays a command signal that shows a pilot whathe should be doing in order to carry out a preconceived navigation plan.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a vertical displaydevice comprising a remote indicating system for presenting attitude,rate of turn, forward velocity, and flight director information to apilot, with provision for also presenting a mass motion effect to thepilot.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a verticaldisplay comprising a flag representative of an airborne vehicle mountedin front of a background comprising a universally movable sphererepresentative of an horizon and by which pitch and roll information canbe indicated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vertical display devicewherein pitch and roll attitude are present on a hollow sphere, thesphere being movable throughout 360 degrees in both the pitch and rollaxes and the upper half of the sphere preferably being painted torepresent cloud formations arranged in strata for approximate pitchreference.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a sphere in avertical display device, as set forth in the preceding object, whereinthe upper half of the sphere which is painted with cloud formations, canbe rotated as a function of vehicle heading for producing a mass motioneffect.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a sphere ina vertical display device, wherein the lower half of the spherecomprises two concentric hemispherical shells; the inner shell beingpainted with radial lines describing semicircular arcs of a great circlebetween two diametrically opposite equatorial points, one pointoperating as a center of the horizon so that azimuthal rotation of theinner shell indicates rate of turn, and the outer hemispherical shellhaving a varying pitch Archimedes spiral line painted thereon with thepitch being zero at the center point of the horizon and increasing asthe spirfl progresses to the bottom of the outer shell so that rotationof the outer shell gives the effect of horizontal lines moving from thehorizon to the bottom of the display and accordingly gives the illusionof forward velocity of the vehicle.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a vertical displaydevice having a flag, as referred to hereinabove, that is wedge-shaped,centrally located in front of the sphere, and is controlled to depictprogrammed flight director commands, the flag being tiltable in thevertical and horizontal planes and rotatable about the roll :axis.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a multiplemagnifying lens system coaxially arranged in front of the flag andsphere, respectively, for the purpose of collimating the spherical imageand thus causing it to appear natural as if it were at infinity behindthe flag.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a novelvertical display device having a flag :adapted to be controlled todepict programmed flight director commands by causing the flag to assumeor simulate the actual attitude of the vehicle relative to centeredvertical and horizontal reference lines for commanding the pilot to flythe flag to a centered horizontal position; or alternatively for causingthe flag to assume the attitude the pilot is being commanded to fly. Inthe latter case, the flag in essence is being chased or pursued by thepilot as if it were a target vehicle.

The invention further resides in certain novel features of construction,combinations and arrangements of parts, and further objects andadvantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the artto which it pertains from the following description of the preferredembodiments thereof, described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which similar reference characters represent correspondingparts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary schematic pictorial illustration, with partsbroken away, of :a vertical display device embodying the invention;

FIGS. 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 21, 2g and 2h are schematic illustrations of apilots view of one mode of carrying out the invention respectivelydepicting climb, dive, right turn, and right climb commands and properresponses to climb, dive, right turn, and right climb commands; and

FIGS. 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3 3g and 3h are schematic illustrations of :apilots View of an alternative mode of carrying out the inventionrespectively depicting climb, dive, right turn, and right climbcommands, and proper responses to climb, dive, right turn, and rightclimb commands.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited -to the detailsof construction and arrangement of parts shown in the drawings andhereinafter described in detail, but is capable of being otherwiseembodied and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. It isto be further understood that the phraselogy or terminology employedherein is for the purpose of description and there is no intention toherein limit the invention beyond the requirements of the prior art.

Referring to FIG. 1, a navigation aid and more particularly a verticaldisplay device capable of unburdening a vehicle operator of at leastsome of the piloting and navigation demands normally made upon operatorsof manned vehicles is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10.The vertical display device comprises a centrally located triangularcommand signalling plat-form or flag 11 pivotally mounted in atransparent window 12 in. front of heading, roll, pitch, rate of turn,horizon and ground speed indicating sphere or ball assembly means,indicated generally by the reference numeral 13. The sphere means 13comprises an upper heading hemisphere 14 painted to indicate the horizonand cloud layers, an inner lower hemispherical shell 15 marked withgreat circle lines having a common origin as shown for indicating rateof turn, and an outer hemispherical shell 16 marked with an Archimedesspiral line as shown for indicating vehicle velocity. The entire b-a-llassembly 13 is turned about a longitudinal horizontal line of sight axis17 for indicating roll of the vehicle and is tilted about a transversehorizontal axis 18 for indicating pitch of the vehicle.

Referring to FIG. 2a, coaxial colli m ating lens means 20 is fixed inthe front of a hollow cylindrical housing 21 in front of the flag so asto give the illusion that the ball assembly 13 forms a background thatis at an infinite distance.

More particularly, the flag 11, FIG. 1, is a channelshaped sheet metaltriangular platform having a symmetrically marked front rectangular webportion 11a. Diagonally opposite corners of the portion 11a are of thesame color, two of the rectangular blocks or corners being preferablyblack and two of the corners being preferably White. The contiguousedges of the black and white blocks form horizontal and verticalfiducial lines which can be centered or positioned, relative to centeredvertical and horizontal cross hairs 20a, b scribed on the collimatinglens means 26. The flag 11 is pivotally supported on a cylindrical,hollow, disk-shaped support block 24 which is connected between twoisosceles triangularlyshapedlegs 11b.

In order to control the command pitch of the flag 11, a pinion gear 25drives :an externally-toothed circular, coaxial gear annulus 26 in aclockwise or a counterclockwise direction for respectively pitching theflag 11 up or down. The annulus 26 has a channel-shaped segmental facegear 27, fixed thereto by screws 28, driving a gear wheel 29. The gearwheel 29 is drivingly connected to a right hand outer end of a radiallyextending transverse pitch control rod 30 which is journaled in a pairof laterally spaced projecting transparent cylindrical lugs 31, '32. Theinner end of the pitch control rod 30 is pivotally connected to a pinfixed to the flag support block 24-. The lugs 31, 32 are integrallyconnected to the front of the transparent window 12. The pitch controlrod 30' and the flag 11 do not have radial or transverse movement. Acoupling member 33 of cylindrical shape is telescoped over .and fixed tothe juxtaposed portion of the rod 30. A similar coupling member 34carries the gear 29 and is drivingly connected to the pitch control rod30. The coupling members 33 and 34, on either side of the stud 32,prevent any transverse or radial movement of the rod 30/ so that pivotpin 35 on which the flag 11 is rigidly mounted remains centrally locatedin front of a central circular opening 36 formed in the transparentwindow 12. The apex end of the flag 11 extends into the opening 36'.

The flag 11 can be pivoted about the pivot pin 35 for indicating commandyaw by means of a push-pull rod 40* which is pivotally connected to apivot pin 41 carried by the flag support block 24 a short radialdistance from the central'pivot pin 35. The yaw control rod is slidablymounted in a lug 42, similar to the lugs 31, 32, and a rectangular camfollower journal block 43' fixed to the window 12. A cam follower pin 42has one end fixed 4 to the rod 40 and carried in the block 43. The otherend of the pin 42 is biased against a cam plate 44 by means of a spring,not shown, in the block 43. The cam plate 44 is fixed with screws 45 toa face of an externally toothed annular command yaw drive gear wheel 46.A pinion 47 drives the gear wheel 46-.

Clockwise movement of the gear Wheel 46 causes the flag 11 to yaw to theleft and the counterclockwise movement of the gear wheel 46 causes theflag 11 to yaw to the right.

For the purpose of indicating command roll, the entire flag assemblycomprising the flag 11, gears 25, 26, 46, 47 and the window 12 with theattached members are adapted to be carried and rotated by an annularexternally toothed gear wheel 48. A command roll pinion 49 drives the.gear wheel 48. This feature can be carried out in a known manner byfixing the gear wheel 48 on a cylindrical frame, not shown, andjournaling the gears 26 and 46 in the frame.

Referring to the ball assembly 13, the entire ball assembly 13 isadapted to be rolled about the line of sight axis 17 by rotating asleeve 60' about a fixed coaxial support shaft 61. The entire ballassembly 13 is piv otally mounted along its transverse or pitch axis 18between a U-shaped bracket or carrier member 62, which is fixed to thesleeve 60 .at one end thereof. A drive gear 63 is fixed to an oppositeend of the sleeve 60 and is driven by a pinion gear 64.

Clockwise rotation of the gear 63 causes roll of the ball assembly 13'to the right and counterclockwise rotation of the gear 63 causes roll ofthe ball assembly 13 to the left or counterclockwise roll.

The hemispheres 14, 15, and 16 which form the ball assembly 13 .are heldtogether in coaxial relatively rotatable relation by means of king pin 7it.

A support plate 65 is sandwiched between the upper shell 14 and the twointernested lower shells 15, 16. Accordingly, turning of a gear 66,which is fixed to a pair of parallel arms 65a, b of the plate 65 whichis fixed to a lower hemisphere in a manner to be explained, causes theplate 65 and the shells 14, 15, .16 to pitch upwardly or downwardlyabout the pitch axis 18. The support plate 65 is pivotally supportedbetween the arms of the carrier member 62.

A drive gear 67 drives the gear 66. Clockwise rotation of the gear 66causes an equatorial ring 68 to pitch down so that the pilot is giventhe illusion that the aircraft or flag 11 is climbing, FIGS. 2e and 3e,in response to la. climb command.

Alternatively, when the gear 66 is turned counterclockwise theequatorial band 68 moves upwardly from the pilots point of view so thatthe pilot is given the illusion that the aircraft or flag 11 is divingin response to a dive command, FIGS.2f:ar1d 3 f.

The outer shell 16 is continuously rotated to give the illusion ofaircraft velocity. The shell 16 is centrally fixed to a lower end of theking pin 70, which extends diametrically of the ball assembly 13 throughsleeve 71a. A crown gear 71 is fixed to the king pin 70 and is driven bya pinion 72 all located within a central Opening 650 of the plate 65. Itis noted that king pin 70* freely passes through hemisphere 15 so thatno rotation is imparted to hemisphere 15.

A radially extending drive shaft 73, coaxial with the pitch axis 18 ofthe ball assembly 13- is carried by the plate 65. A gear 74, driven by adrive pinion 75, is fixed to the shaft 73. The gear 66 is journaled onan enlarged end 73a of the shaft 73. Accordingly the speed shell 16 isrotated independently of the heading shell 14 and the rate of turn shell15.

The rate of turn shell 15, having the great circle arcs marked thereon,is fixed at 99 to the equatorial ring 68, which is integral with shell15 and which has the opposite ends of a diametrically extending togglebar 76 fixed thereto. The shell 15- is adapted to swing back and forththrough an arc of preferably :20 degrees to indicate rate of turn by apush-pull rod 77. The toggle bar 76 is pivotally connected to the kingpin 70. The push-pull rod 77 has its inner end connected to a lever 78which has its outer end pivotally connected by a pin 79 to the plate 65.The other end of the lever 78 is pivotally connected to the toggle bar76 by means of a rod se ment 80. The rod segment 80 is connected a shortdistance from the king pin 70 so that some leverage can be gained forturning the toggle bar 76. The push-pull rod 77 is reciprocated by thetilting of a crank arm 81 which is fixed to a side of a gear 82 drivenby a pinion 83. Preferably, the gear 83 is driven by a rate of turnsynchro motor, not shown.

Since toggle bar 76 is pivotally connected to king pin 70 andconstrained to remain parallel to plate 65-, movement of plate 65 bygear 66 will cause hemisphere 15 with the rest of the ball assembly 13to pitch about axis 18 and reciprocal movement of rod 77 will effect therate of turn movement of hemisphere 15 about an axis coincident withking pin 70.

Upper hemisphere 14 is rotated to give the illusion of the aircraftturning or changing heading. Pinion 91, which may be driven by a servomotor having a positional output proportional to heading, drives gear 90on shaft 96. Pinion 95 drives crown gear 93 and sleeve 94 carryinghemisphere 14 to rotate relative to king pin 70.

It is the intention to hereby cover not only the above mentionedpreferred embodiment, but it is the intention to cover all adaptations,modifications, and uses thereof which come within the practice of thoseskilled in the art to which the invention relates, and coming within thescope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vertical display device, ball means, a flag representative of anaircraft, said flag being mounted for movement about pitch, roll and yawaxes and disposed in front of said ball means, collimating lens meansdisposed in front of said flag and focused to make said ball meansappear to be at infinity, means torming centered vertical and horizontalreference lines fixed relative to said lens means, means for controllingthe roll, pitch and yaw of said flag, said ball means having means forgiving the illusion of the speed of said flag to the viewer, means fortilting said ball means about a pitch axis for giving the illusion ofpitch attitude of said flag relative to a horizon to the viewer, andmeans for rolling said ball means for giving the viewer the illusionthat said flag is assuming a roll attitude relative to a horizon.

2. In a vertical display device, ball means, a flag representative of anaircraft disposed in front of said ball means, collimating lens meansdisposed in front of said flag and focused to make said ball meansappear to be at infinity, means forming vertical and horizontalreference lines fixed relative to said lens means for centering saidflag, means for controlling the roll, pitch and yaw of said flag, andsaid ball means including means to :give illusion of forward motion to aviewer of said flag.

3. In a vertical display device as set forth in claim 2, said ball meanshaving means for giving the illusion of rate of turn of said flag to theviewer.

4. In a vertical display device as set forth in claim 2, means forpitching said ball means for giving the illusion of pitch attitude ofsaid flag relative to a horizon to the viewer.

5. In a vertical display device as set forth in claim 2, means forrolling said ball means for giving the viewer the illusion that saidflag is assuming a roll attitude relative to a horizon.

-6. In a navigational vertical display device for directing a pilotalong a predetermined flight path, a flag representative of a body in afluid medium, ball means coaxially disposed behind said flag, said ballmeans having an upper hemispherical shell turnable about a pivot axis 6for simulating change of heading of said flag when slow ly turned, saidball means having transparent inner and outer internested lowerhemispherical shells, said inner shell having peripheral great circlelines marked thereon radiating from a common central point at theequator of said inner shell, said inner shell being adapted to be turnedback and forth about said pivot axis for giving the illusion of a rateof turn of said flag, said outer shell being rotatable about said pivotaxis and having an Archimedes spiral line marked on the surface thereofbeginning from a point on said pivot axis and continuing at a constantlydecreasing slope to the equator of said outer shell forgiving theillusion of forward motion when said outer lower shell is turned, andmeans for controlling the roll, pitch and yaw of said flag and therebypresenting commands to a pilot.

7. In a navigational vertical display device for directing a pilot alonga predetermined flight path, a triangular platform-like flagrepresentative of a body in a fluid medium, ball means coaxiallydisposed behind said flag, said ball means having an upper hemisphericalshell turnable about a pivot axis and having clouds marked thereon forsimulating change of heading of said flag when slowly turned, said ballmeans having transparent inner and outer internested hemisphericalshells, said inner shell showing solid great circle lines marked thereonfrom a common central point at the equator of said inner shell, saidinner shell being adapted to be oscillated about said pivot axis forgiving the illusion of a rate of turn of said flag, said outer shellbeing rotatable about said pivot axis and having an Archimedes spiralline marked thereon beginning from a point on said pivot axis andcontinuing at a constantly decreasing slope to the equator of said outershell for giving the illusion of forward motion, and means for causingsaid flag to roll, pitch and yaw and thereby presenting commands to apilot.

8. In a navigational vertical display device for directing a pilot alonga predetermined flight path, a flag representative of a body in a fluidmedium, ball means coaxially disposed behind said flag, said ball meanshaving an upper hemispherical shell turnabl-e about a pivot axis forsimulating change of heading of said flag when slowly turned, said ballmeans having transparent inner and outer internested hemisphericalshells, said inner shell showing solid great circle lines marked thereonfrom a common central point at the equator of said inner shell, saidinner shell being adapted to be oscillated about said pivot axis forgiving the illusion of a rate of turn of said flag, said outer shellbeing rotatable about said pivot axis and having an Archimedes spiralline marked thereon beginning from a point on said pivot axis andcontinuing at a constantly decreasing slope to the equator of said outershell for giving the illusion of forward motion, a transparent windowhaving a central circular opening formed therein, a horizontal pitchcontrol rod radially extending from a center of said window to aperipheral edge thereof, means for supporting said pitch control rod forangular movement thereof, a pitch control pin fixed to said flag, theinner end of said pitch control rod being pivotally connected to saidpin and disposed perpendicular thereto, and face gear and pinion meansdrivingly connected to said pitch control rod.

9. In a navigational vertical display device as set forth in claim 8, apush-pull yaw control rod slidably supported by said window, an innerend of said yaw control rod being pivotally connected to said flag apredetermined distance from said pitch control pin for turning said flagabout the axis of said pitch control pin, cam and follower means forpushing and pulling said yaw control rod.

10. In a navigational vertical display device for directing a pilotalong a predetermined flight path, a flag representative of a body in afluid medium, ball means coaxially disposed behind said flag, said ballmeans having an upper hemispherical shell turnable about a pivot axisfor simulating change of heading of said. flag,

when inner inner slowly turned, said ball means having transparent shellshowing great circle lines marked thereon from a common central point atthe equator of said inner shell, said inner shell 'being adapted to beoscillated about said pivot axis for giving the illusion of a rate ofturn of said flag, said outer shell :bein-g rotatable about said pivotaxis and having an Archimedes spiral line marked thereon beginning froma point on the equator and continuing at a constantly increasing slopeto the said pivot axis of said outer shell for giving the illusion offorward motion, a king pin extending the diameter of said ball meanscoincident with said pivot axis, a

support plate supporting said upper shell, a first sleeve. fixed to saidupper shell and turnably mounted about said" king pin, a first crown.gear fixed to said sleeve, 21 first pinion gear drivingly meshing withsaid first crown gear,. a' radially extending tubular drive shaftdefining a ball pitch axis turnably supported by said support plate andhaving said first pinion gear fixed to the inner end thereof, a secondpinion gear fixed to the outer end thereof, a second sleeve turnablydisposed about said king pin and fixed to said inner lower shell, adiametrically extending toggle bar fixed to said inner lower shell atopposite points on the equator thereof, a lever arm having one endpivotally connected to said support plate, a rod segment having one endpivotally connected to the other end of said lever arm and havinganother endj pivotally connected to said toggle bar a predetermined andouter internested hemispherical shells, said distance from said kingpin, said toggle bar being pivotally connected to said king pin, aradially extending push-pull rod slidably disposed within said tubulardrive shaft and having one end connected to said lever arm and anopposite end extending outside of said .ball means, a crank arm havingone end fixed to said push-pull rod, a third pinion gear fixed to saidcrank arm for causing push-pull motion to be transmitted to saidpush-pull rod, said outer lower shell being fixed to the lower end ofsaid king pin, a second crown gear fixed to saidking pin at a point apredetermined distance from said first crown gear, a fourth pinion geardrivingly meshed with said second crown gear and coaxial with said firstand second pinion gears, a radially extending shaft coaxial with saidpitch axis. of said ball means and extending outside of said outer lowershell, and fifth pinion gear means fixed to the outer end of said shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,582,796 Reid Jan. 15, 1952 2,636,161' Hoover Apr. 21, 1953 2,737,640Barnaby Mar. 6, 1956 2,747,293 Lyons May 29, 1956 OTHER REFERENCESPublicaion, Displaying Integrated Instrumentation by Douglas G. Aid andDr. Charles Susskind printed in Electronic Industries in- July 1958,pages 68 to 71, available Scientific Library.

2. IN A VERTICAL DISPLAY DEVICE, BALL MEANS, A FLAG REPRESENTATIVE OF ANAIRCRAFT DISPOSED IN FRONT OF SAID BALL MEANS, COLLIMATING LENS MEANSDISPOSED IN FRONT OF SAID FLAG AND FOCUSED TO MAKE SAID BALL MEANSAPPEAR TO BE AT INFINITY, MEANS FORMING VERTICAL AND HORIZONTALREFERENCE LINES FIXED RELATIVE TO SAID LENS MEANS FOR CENTERING SAIDFLAG, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE ROLL, PITCH AND YAW OF SAID FLAG, ANDSAID BALL MEANS INCLUDING MEANS